MIKEL ARTETA has broken his silence on Ben White’s England World Cup exit.
That’s after the Arsenal star returned to club action in Tuesday’s friendly win over AC Milan.
White, 25, was part of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for their adventure in Qatar.
But the centre-back left England’s World Cup squad prior to their last-16 win over Senegal due to “personal reasons.”
And stunning reports claimed White went home after being involved in a training ground bust-up with assistant boss Steve Holland.
White has since linked up with Arsenal for the remainder of their Dubai training camp and even broke his silence over the issue yesterday.
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White proved his commitment to Arsenal’s title chase this afternoon by starring in a 2-1 win over AC Milan.
And now boss Arteta has had his say over the furore surrounding White’s England exit.
Arteta said: “Very pleased [to have him back].
“Everybody has been giving him a lot of support and love.
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“We know the reasons he had to leave the camp. We are delighted to have him back and he looked in really good shape.
“I’ve been having conversations with all the players at the World Cup.
“Not only with Ben but with all the players to try to give support when somebody needs it.”
Asked about suggestions that White’s character played a role in him having to leave the England camp, Arteta added: “We can’t control that.
“I know who Ben is, what he needs, what his character is and how happy we all are to have him at the club.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
